Ive been told by the pet shop to put *aquarium tonic salt* 2 teaspoons in the water in my new gold fish tank.

Question

My new tank is 34 litres (7.5 gallons), is this big enough for one fish. and the pet shop told me to put 2 teaspoons of tonic salt in the water and let it stand over night before i move my fish into it. (i only have the one goldfish aged 13 yrs, and the other tank was a bit smaller).

Answer 1

1. Tonic salt (aquarium salt): composed of sodium chloride which is used more for treatment

              and/or for sterilizing aquariums (as stated on some salt products, depending on the company).

I  for one am definetly in favour of using aquarium salt, when required, and here are some proven benefits of using it:

Reduces toxicity - Salt reduces nitrite levels for freshwater fish. The sodium and chloride will reduce nitrite levels in aquariums and studies in the past have shown that chloride reduces nitrite by providing extra ions, which offer fish a form of protection against nitrite.

Attacks parasites and pathogens - Salt kills parasites like Trichodina and pathogens. The old fashioned, but very workable, method of curing fungus infections on fish.

. Some aquatic companies recommend the use of salt as a regular routine, although opinions

             differ.

          2. Some Aquarists' add tonic salt to their aquariums once every 2-3 months, whereas others use it

              only when necessary.

          3. Some species of freshwater fish, in particular 'Hoplosternum' catfish, are not tolerant of salt in

              their surroundings. Others, in particular the livebearing Goodeids of the Mexican plateau, have

              great need of tonic salt in order to maintain their health.

Never use domestic table salt in aquaria as this contains additives that are toxic to fish

Answer 2

I know salt helps reduce stress for fish but I dont think a goldfish needs salt. Also goldfish needs a tank as big as 20 gallons because they are pond fish so they need room.

Answer 3

Of course the pet store wants you to use aquarium salt in your tank!  They are trying to sell you the salt!  You don't need salt for freshwater fish.  And aquarium salt is no different or better than the sea salt you can get in the grocery store for about 1/3 the price.  You can use any old salt that's not iodized.  All salt does is stimulate the growth of the fish's slime coat.  A fish's slime coat aids its natural immune system, so salt can help to speed recovery from disease or heal wounds, but it's not really necessary for every day use in an aquarium.  In addition, live plants, shrimp and scaleless fish do not respond well to salt.  It will also kill snails.  

Your tank is too small for a gold fish.  Even a fancy gold fish should have at least 20 gallons to be truly healthy and comfortable.  Otherwise they end up stunted and dying early deaths as their outsides stop growing but their internal organs continue to grow.  Goldfish can live up to 20 years, but pet goldfish usually only live 2-5 years due to cramped conditions.

Answer 4

The salt will help balance the PH of the water and for that reason can benefit the fish, by keeping the water stable. If you have not been adding salt previously, maybe add half of that and slowly increase the concentration as you do water changes. I put 1 teaspoon for every 30 litres when doing water changes. The most important thing is to slowly change the salt concentration, the slower the change, the better.

Answer 5

First of all, your tank is too small for goldfish. A single goldfish needs a minimum of 20 gallons, not 7!

Secondly, I don't use any salt for my fish (as I have inverts which are intolerant of it) and they get by just fine. Salt effects the fish's osmoregulation, I think it is a little over-sold for true freshwater fish.

Answer 6

Hi. The rule of thumb for aquariums is one fish per gallon. Your tank is plenty big. You can even add a few goldfish freinds if you want. You might try a half dozen guppies. They are fun and have pretty fluttery tails.

Answer 7

They are telling you the truth.  Fresh water fish flesh contains more salt than a saltwater fish.  You can and should add salt to your fresh water, up to 3t per gallon.  Do not put salt into the replacement water used to compensate for evaporation loss.

The only drawback to doing this is that it will affect any live plants you may have in the aquarium.  If you have live plants, limit the amount of salt to 1t / gallon.

Answer 8

why tonic salt? is it a lot cheaper than rocksalt?  I always use rocksalt  not tonic salt.  yah its good for conditioning the fish as long its not  too salty.